Buffer equipment for railway-cars



3 Sheets-Sheet', 1.

(No Model.)

H. H.' SESSIONS. BUFFER EQUIPMENT FOB. RAILWAY CARS.

Patented-June 14 ,5a/eww:

vn: Noams Pzrzns co, Pnoumwfo., WASHINGTON. n. c.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

H, H. SESSIONS. 'BUFFER EQUIPMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS..

No. 605,521 Patented 111111914,l

(No Mdel.) 3 Sheets-Sheen; 3.

H. H.`SBSS10NS. BUFFER EQUIPMENT FOR RAILWAY GARS.

No. 605,521. Patented June 14, 18918.

'r E xonms PETER: cm vupmumo.. wunmmou. D, c.

lha-imno SrAfrns AlPAJr'nN'r Ormea,

l-IENRY II. SESSIONS, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARDCOUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

BUFFER EQUIPMENT FOR RAILWAYCARS.'

SPECIFICATION forming `part of Letters Patent No. 605,521, dated June14, 1898.,

Application led January 2l, 1898. Serial No. 667,42S. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY I-I. SESSIONS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Buffer Equipments forRailway-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, and to theletters of referencev center stem also rests against the equalizingimarked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in what is known as the bufferequipment of railway-cars, and is particularly, though not lexclusively, applicable to passenger-cars. of any ofthe ordinary types.i In view of the fact that the construction of the framing of thecarbody and the draft mechanism for coupling the bodies together is wellknown I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate in the presentapplication but one end of the Hoor-framing and sills of apassenger-car, inasmuch as it will be perfectly apparent to thoseskilled in the art that the invention may be applied to any ordinaryconstruction of car-body and used in connection with mechanism orcoupler. V a

Referring to the accompanyi mechanism constructed in accordance with mypresent invention applied to an ordinary platform-frame. Fig. 2 is avertical section taken on the center line longitudinally of the buffingmechanism. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly broken away. Fig. l is avertical section taken at right angles to Fig. 2 on the line x fr. Fig.5 is a View corresponding to Fig. l, with one stem broken away to showthe slot in the equalizing-bar and the parts inclined as in turning acurve.

Like letters of reference in the several iiguresindicate the same parts.u

The letter A indicates a series of I-beams, which extend beneath thelevel ofthe sillsof the carfbody and beyond the main portion of the bodyat each end to support the platform andibu'fing equipment; At theforward end these I-beams A support the buffer-beam B, the connectionbetween the beams being preferably made by bolts and a transverse B-iron `any ordinary draft"` ng drawings,` s Figure li is a top plan viewshowing a bufiing` forward bya center stem G, as usual, which bar in amanner to be presently described.

The equalizing-bar F is centrally j ournaled and supported in the headH, the head II being for this purpose provided with a transversehorizontal slot for the reception of the equalizing-bar, and said headis in turn supported upon or guided by side beams K, which will preventits lateral movement but permit it to move backwardly and forwardly inaccordance with therequired movements of the burefer-platet AThe head His held in its forward position by advancing-springs L, interposedbetween the rear face of the head and a socket-plate IWI, secured tothesills of the carbody. Thus Athe buffer-'plate is maintained in itsforward position with a yielding pressure. VIn, order now that thetendency of the buffer-'plate when pressure is applied thereto shallalways be to return to or assume a position at substantially rightangles to the longitudinal axis of the ear-body, I form the connectionsbetween the push-rods or side stems and the equalizer as follows: Theforward side or edge of theequalizer at each end is made substantiallydat or straight, as at f, and the rear ends of the stems are providedwith corresponding flat or straight coperating bearing-surfaces c, andas a convenient means for connectingthe stems and equalizer the ends ofthe stems are further provided with arms e', which embrace the ends ofthe equalizer, and a vertical pin'orwboltjf, passing through the saidarms'e and equalizer,

tion, it being understood, of course, that a sufficient play orlooseness is left around the bolts, as at f2, to permit of the fullrange of `movement of the equalizing-bar on its pivotal center and sothat the buffer-plate may IOO - is changed' from an even bearingthroughout l always return to proper right-angle position, i therebyreducing to the minilnum the danger l of derailment by reason of anytendency of assume under certain conditions a relatively angularposition. By reason of the coperating at or straight bearing-surfaces cand f it will be noted that when the buEer-plate is pressed back so asto compress the springs L and the bufferplate is caused to incline ineither direction with relation to the axis of the car -body theequalizer will be correspondingly turned, but in doing so the point ofcontact between the stems and equalizer the extent of the straight facesto a bearing at one corner or end of said straight faces. At the sidewhich is advanced this bearing will be at the end of theequalizing-bar,'and at the opposite side it will be at the inner ends ofthe straight faces, the result being that a differential pressure isexerted on the this arrangement is that the buffer-plate is caused toinstantly resume its proper angular position when the pressure which hasthrown it out of such position is relieved, and after turning a curvethe buffer-plates will the buffer-plates to slide transversely withrelation to each other.

The center stem G is also preferably provided with a straightbearing-face g, which cooperates with a straight face\g at the center ofthe equalizing-bar in order to maintain a proper pressure at the centerof the bufferplate, inasmuch as it is apparent that the distance betweentheends of the equalizing-bar and buffer-plate is slightly increased byany swinging-movem en t, and this distance should be correspondinglyincreased at the center portion in order to maintain an even pressure atthe center and ends. The center stem when thus constructed will alsoexert a tendency to return the equalizer to its correct normal positionat right angles to the axis of the carbody.

In order to return the couplers connecting the cars to their propercentral position after having been'swung laterally, as in turning acurve, and so that the pressure on the bufiing mechanism maybe uniformlydistributed and in order to hold said couplers central, I provide acentralizing mechanism as follows: The usual carry-irons O, togetherwith the usual spring-pocket P, are provided beneath the I-beams A, andpreferably immediately in rear of the forward carry-iron or yoke O, Imount a laterally-movable yoke Q, through which the draw-bar passes andwith which it is moved in unison. This yoke Q is formed upon or attachedto a sleeve q, (see Fig. 4,) which sleeve in turn is mounted and adaptedto slide upon thimbles R, and the thimbles R are mounted between theI-beams A and held in place by a through-bolt S, so as to be capaingmovemen t with relation to the sleeve upon'. said bolt S. their outwardposition by a central spring or springs T, preferably surrounding thethrough-bolt S, andthe ends of the sleeve q and inner ends of thethimbles are provided with cooperating anges which prevent the outwardseparation of the three parts. In the preferred construction theseflangesV are mutilated or have spaces U, Fig. 2, formed therein, wherebyin assembling the parts the portions of the ange on the thimble may bebrought opposite the spaces on the sleeve and passed into the sleevethrough said spaces, when a slight turn in either direction will preventthe separation of the parts.

The sleeve itself may be and preferably is centrally supported by meansof a bearing lug or projection V, which-slides upon the upper surface ofthe carry-iron or yoke-plate l/V, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

In operation any lateral movement of the draw-bar or coupler will movethe sleeve g laterally, the result being that the thimble at the end ofthe sleeve away from which the movement takes place will be drawninwardly, compressing the spring T and tending to return the draw-bar toits normal position. The thimble at the opposite end of the sleeve willnot be disturbed in its position, but the sleeve will slide upon ortelescope with the same, as will be readily understood.

The sill at the end of the car-body frame is indicated in theaccompanying drawings by the letter V, and the -beams A are supportn edand connected to the sill V by means of a connection which I have foundin no wise weakens the flanges of the I-beams at this the point ofgreatest strain. The connection is formed by means of what I term I-beambrackets, which are secured to the I-beam by bolts or rivetspassingthrough the web of the beam, and have extensions at theside throughwhich the supporting-bolts may pass beyond the flanges of the beam.These brackets are illustrated in Fig. 2 and in the extension at theright of Fig. l, the latter showing the I- beams in section. A bracket(lettered WV) is secured to each side of each I-beam and provided withcentral webs w, through which the bolts w pass to unite the brackets tothe webs of the beams and, as shown in Fig. 2, the brackets on oppositesides of each beam are preferably arranged out of line with each other,or so that the center bolt only will pass through both brackets and theend bolts through one bracket, thereby securing the advantage of thestrength of an additional bolt. The brackets W have eyes W extendingoutwardly beyond the flanges of the I- beams, and through these eyes YVthe vertical supporting tiebolts lV2 pass and extend thence up into orthrough the sills or sill V of the car-body frame. This construction, asbefore explained, does not in any wise weaken the -beam flanges, .but onthe contrary tends to strengthen the I-beam by supporting the Thethimbles are maintained in IOO IIO

same at the sill. If desired, in addition a hanger vY may pass downunder the I-beams from side to side, as shown in Fig. l.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a buffer equipment for railway-cars, the combination with thebuffer-plate, the stems therefor and the centrally -pivotedspring-supported equalizer, of substantially straighttransversely-arranged bearings interposed between the stems andequalizerwhereby a differential leverage is exerted by the equalizerwhen moved into an inclined position; substantially as described.

2. In a buffer equipment for railway-cars,

the combination with the butfer-platehaving the rearwardly-extendingstems provided with substantially straight horizontal bearing-surfacesat their rear ends, of a centrally-pivoted spring-supported equalizerhaving substantiallystraighthorizontalbearing-surfaces at its ends onthe forward edges for coperation with the corresponding surfaces on thestems; substantially as described.

In a buffer equipment for railway-cars, the combination with thebuffer-plate and the rearwardly-extending stems having substantiallystraight horizontal bearing-su rfaces and arms extending rearwardlyabove and below said bearing-surfaces, of the centrally-pivotedspring-supported equalizer having its ends located between therearwardly extending arms on the stems and provided with substantiallystraight horizontal bearings coperatin'g with the corresponding bearingson the stems and pins loosely uniting the stems I and equalizers;substantially as described.

Ll. In a buffer equipment for railway-cars the combination with thecentrally-pivoted spring-supported equalizer having substantiallystraight bearing-surfaces on its front edge at the center and each endrespectively, of the buffer-plate and the side and central butter stemseach having a substantially straight horizontal bearing-surface forcoperating with the corresponding bearing-surface on the front edge ofthe equalizer; subtantially as described.

5. In a buffer equipment for railway-cars the combination with thesupporting-beams of a depending yoke for the draw-bar adapted to bemoved laterally, and a central spring adapted to be put undercompression by the movement of the yoke in either direction;substantially as described.

6. In a buffer equipment for railway-cars the combination with thesupporting-beams and a laterally-movable yoke depending therefrom', of acentral spring and a telescoping connection between said yoke and eachend of the spring whereby lateral movement in either direction will putthe spring under compression; substantially as described.

7. In a device such as described adapted to be applied to the butterequipment of railway-cars the combination with the sleeve having thedepending yoke for the draw-bar, the thimbles telescoping in said sleeveand the central spring for holding said `sleeves eX- vtended;substantially as described.

8. The combination with thesleeve having the depending yoke andinternal' end flanges, of the thimbles having the external end iiangesand adapted to telescope with the sleeve, of the central spring forholding said thimbles extended and the bolt for 'maintaining the partsin position; substantially as described.

The combination with the sills of a carbody frame and I-beams passinglongitudinally beneath said sills, of I-beam brackets unitedto the websof the I-beam by through bolts or rivets and having eyes extendingbeyond the iianges of the I-beams and supporting or tie bolts passingthrough said eyes outside of said flanges and into the sills of thecar-body framing; substantially as described.

lO. The combination with the car-body frame and I-beams of I-beambrackets secured on opposite sides of said I-beam and preferablyarranged out of line with each other, of a bolt or rivet passing throughthe web of the I-beam and through both of said brackets at the pointwhere they overlap and bolts or rivets uniting each of said brackets andsaid web of the I-beam, said I-beam brackets having lateral projectionsextending beyond the flanges of the I-beam and tie or supporting boltspassing through said eX- tensions and uniting the I-beams to the carbodyframe; substantially as described.

HENRY II. SESSIONS. NVitnesses:

L. F. MGGARITY, A. W. TAYLOR.

IOO

